# Obesity causes mitochondrial fragmentation and dysfunction in white adipocytes due to RalA activation

*PRI Rank #12 · Topics and Trends in Most Cited Adipose Tissue and Metabolism Papers, Class of 2026*

*Canonical URL: https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/adipose-tissue-and-metabolism/2026/rank-12*

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Rank | #12 |
| 18m citations | 72 |
| Journal | Nature Metabolism |
| Year | 2024 |
| DOI | 10.1038/s42255-024-00978-0 |
| Corresponding authors | Alan R. Saltiel |
| Institution | University of California San Diego, United States |

**Ranking page:** [Topics and Trends in Most Cited Adipose Tissue and Metabolism Papers, Class of 2026](https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/adipose-tissue-and-metabolism/2026)

**Paper link:** [10.1038/s42255-024-00978-0](https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-024-00978-0)

## Topics

Mitochondrial fission · white adipocytes · RalA · high-fat diet · mitochondrial dysfunction · insulin resistance · Fatty liver disease · Oxidative metabolism · Drp1 · Mitochondrial fission · Ser637 phosphorylation · Fatty acid β-oxidation · Drp1 · energy expenditure · Mitochondrial dynamics · inguinal white adipocytes · small GTPase · Adipose tissue · Metabolic dysfunction

## Cite this ranking

```
Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Adipose Tissue and Metabolism Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/adipose-tissue-and-metabolism/2026. Accessed 2026-07-22.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459
```